Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Bill Bixby and the Liberal Party

The Liberal Party sounds a lot like Bill Bixby.

You might remember Bixby as the actor who played Dr. David Banner in the campy 1980s TV show, who would warn aggressors “don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry” moments before transforming into the Incredible Hulk and making a mess of the place.

If you can remember that, likely you can also recall the dying days of the 2006 campaign when it was becoming clear that voters were no longer prepared to “Choose the Liberal Party’s Canada”.

Upset Liberals began wildly speculating that a Harper government could do all sorts of crazy things. In a January 19th press release titled “Stephen Harper’s Agenda on Choice” Liberals said:

There are a number of ways in which an anti-choice government could restrict or limit choice, including:

- Refusing to approve new contraceptives;- Placing restrictions on family planning agencies that receive federal funding;- Changing government health policy to allow provinces to opt out of funding for abortions; and- Changing the Criminal Code or the Constitution to give legal status to foetuses.

Funny thing is, Liberals were right about the last one. C-484, a Conservative MP’s private members bill giving fetuses legal status is currently moving through Parliament -- the same bill that 26 Liberal MPs voted in favour of.

That’s right, the anti-choice agenda that Liberals warned us about in the election is the same anti-choice agenda their MPs are helping to move along today. (Incidentally, every NDP MP will be voting against C-484).

Which begs this thought: perhaps Liberals weren’t warning us about the Conservatives after all. Maybe, like Bill Bixby, Liberals were warning us about what lurks inside of them.

Because if there was a Conservative government, Liberals wouldn’t be able to control their MPs who actually agree with Stephen Harper on a woman’s right to choose.

“Don’t vote for a Conservative government. You won’t like us with a Conservative government.”